The Philharmonic Dining Rooms

The Philharmonic Dining Rooms in Liverpool, known as “The Phil,” is an extraordinarily ornate Victorian pub built in 1898 that has gained a reputation for paranormal activity as impressive as its architecture. The pub’s most famous ghost is that of a Victorian gentleman dressed in formal evening wear, complete with top hat and walking stick, seen wandering through the elaborate interior.

This spectral figure appears most often near the famous gentlemen’s toilets, widely considered the most opulent pub lavatories in Britain. Multiple witnesses have encountered the gentleman examining the intricate mosaic work and carved woodwork, apparently still admiring the building’s craftsmanship decades after his death. When approached, he typically vanishes instantly, though some witnesses report seeing him walk through solid walls.

Staff members have reported additional unexplained phenomena including glasses flying off shelves, cold spots in specific areas of the pub, and the sound of footsteps on the grand staircase when no one is there. The building’s elaborate Victorian decoration seems to create an atmosphere conducive to hauntings, with multiple corners and alcoves where shadows move independently. Some psychics believe the Victorian gentleman may have been involved in the pub’s original construction or opening and has remained attached to the building he loved. The paranormal activity remains consistent, making The Phil one of Liverpool’s most reliably haunted establishments.